In the railway privatisation process, the South Wales and West Railway Company
franchise - like that of the Cardiff Railway Company - was awarded to Prism Railways, and
the official hand-over took place on October 13 1996.
With the introduction of the 1997/8 Winter timetable, the company changed its name to
Wales and West Passenger Trains, which better describes the area it serves, and at the end
of October 1997, the company moved from Swindon to new headquarters in Cardiff.
From September 30 2001, the company had another name change - to Wales and Borders - in
anticipation of all rail services in Wales coming under one franchise. From the same date,
Cardiff Railway Company became known as Valley Lines.
Subsequently, the franchise was awarded to Arriva Trains Wales.
ATW operates provincial services throughout the principality, and along the
Marches Line to Holyhead, Liverpool and Manchester. It also runs services from South
Wales to connect at Waterloo with Eurostar services to Paris and Brussels.

Cardiff...
...is the gateway to the coast and Valley areas of south east Wales.
A city since 1905, and the capital of Wales since 1955, Cardiff stands at the mouth of the
River Taff (part of which was diverted in the mid-nineteenth century to clear a site for what is now Cardiff
Central railway station). Noted for its Victorian arcades and pedestrianised shopping areas, it
also offers top class facilities for sport, theatre and the cinema.Cardiff Castle (left) has Roman and Norman connections, but, apart from Roman remains
at the base of the south east walls, the Norman Keep and the 15th century
Western Apartments, what you
see is mostly a Victorian reconstruction.
Nearby, the civic centre is considered among the
finest in Europe, and incorporates the museum, law courts, the former Welsh Office
(now the secretariat of the Welsh Assembly), university
buildings and the City Hall. With a referendum in September 1997 narrowly voting for the
establishment of a Welsh Assembly to govern Wales, the City Hall was one of the venues
under consideration to house the body, but the Assembly - which first sat on June 1 1999 -
was first housed in Crickhowell House in Cardiff Bay but has moved into the
adjacent Senedd (Welsh for Senate) Building (see below).
Behind City Hall is
Alexandra Gardens with its imposing War Memorial commemorating two World Wars and more
recent conflicts.In the city centre, the other building of great antiquity is St John's Church,
parts of which date from
the thirteenth century.
There are several malls off the pedestrianised shopping area, which also has St David's
Hall - renowned for concerts by top-class orchestras and entertainers - and the
Motorpoint International Arena, the venue for conferences, pop concerts, ice shows, and the like.
St David's Phase Two, a new shopping mall on the southern
side of the city centre, opened on October 22 2009.
The New Theatre
celebrated its centenary in 2006, and stages plays and other productions, including those
by the internationally-celebrated Welsh National Opera until the WNO moved into
its new home: the Wales Millennium Centre for the Performing Arts (see below)
which opened in November 2004 with a spectacular Gala concert attended by Her
Majesty The Queen.
Close
to the city centre, on the banks of the river, the Millennium Stadium (right) is
the
home of Welsh Rugby. Opened for a Wales v South Africa friendly in June 1999, it took on
international importance when it staged early rounds of the Rugby World Cup
that October,
and the Final on 6 November of the same year. It is now used to stage Wales' home games in
the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, international football matches, concerts and other
high-profile events. While Wembley Stadium was being developed it was also the venue of prestigious
football matches, including the Worthington and FA Cup Finals. A very
versatile building, it also stages speedway, monster truck and religious
conventions.
In 2012 Olympic Women's football, and men's finals were staged in the
Stadium.
A mile to the south, the Cardiff Bay development has transformed the derelict docklands
area into a leisure, residential and light-industrial complex, while the barrage which
dams the mouths of the Taff and Ely rivers was
brought into operation on November 4 1999 to create a 500-acre freshwater lake.
It is now possible to walk over the barrage from Cardiff Bay to Penarth. In June
2012, the Dr Who Experience opened, dedicated, as the name suggests, to
all things Dr Who, which is filmed in the Porth Teigr studios a short distance
away, as well as locations around the city and farther afield.
To the north of the city, is Llandaff Cathedral, which has been a place of worship for
more than 1,400 years. Partly destroyed by bombs during World War II, the cathedral was
rebuilt and rededicated in 1958, its nave overarched by the sculpture of Christ in Majesty by
Jacob Epstein.
On the city's western boundary is the Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan's, which
recreates the Welsh way of life in authentic buildings from all over Wales. Dismantled
brick-by-brick
from their original locations and reassembled at St Fagan's - itself a manor house dating
from the Civil War era - they provide a base for many practitioners of old crafts such as
pottery and woodcarving, and also includes a blacksmith's forge.

Cardiff Bay

The Cardiff Bay area has been developed as a waterfront park with leisure, residential
and light-industrial complexes on reclaimed derelict dockland, and is the start of the
Taff Trail which can be followed as far as Brecon, 57 miles away.
The major feature is the Barrage which can be reached by road train from its
stop outside the car
park in Stuart Street. You can also walk across the barrage as far as Penarth,
passing en route the new Dr Who Experience which opened on July 20
2012, close to the new BBC
studio complex at Roath Lock where Dr Who, Casualty, Sherlock and other
prestigious productions are made.The Welsh assembly meets in
the Senedd (Welsh for Senate), the new debating chamber which has been built
alongside the Pierhead Building (pictured left, a striking
terracotta edifice that was once the headquarters of the Bute Dock and Railway Company, which opened
the first of the docks in 1839, and was the prime influence behind the Taff Vale Railway. It is now used as the Visitor Centre for the National Assembly.The Wales Millennium Centre for the
Performing Arts opened in November 2004 with a
spectacular Gala Concert attended by Her Majesty the Queen. It is the home of Welsh
National Opera and seven other performing arts groups including the Urdd, the
Welsh organisation for the youth of Wales. Adjoining is Alun Hoddinot Hall,
named after the late Welsh composer, which
is a base for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Outside the Millennium Centre is Roald Dahl Place - named after the children's writer who was born in
the Cardiff
suburb of Llandaff - built on the site of the basin of the Bute West Dock, now used
for street theatre and open-air concerts. The steel column with water cascading
down it (at extreme right in the photograph alongside) will be recognised by fans of Torchwood - the spin-off from the
successful BBC Wales television series Dr Who, filmed
largely in Cardiff and the surrounding area - as supposedly the entrance to
Torchwood. The latest series of Torchwood has emigrated to the United
States, though.
A coffee bar and art gallery has been established in the Norwegian Seamen's Church where Roald Dahl was baptised as a child. A short distance away
was 'The Tube' - a
cigar-shaped structure which housed the Cardiff Bay visitors' centre. It was the base for
the Spirit of Cardiff, a powerboat which attempted the fastest circumnavigation
of the world in 2002. The target was almost 25,000 miles in 50 days, calling at 26 different
countries, but a series of misadventures, culminating in a heart attack suffered by one of
the crew, led to the attempt being abandoned, though not before a number of records were
broken,
Tied up permanently at the quay alongside the site of The Tube is the Helwick Lightship, which was
stationed off the Gower Peninsular guarding a treacherous sandbank 50 miles
northwest of Cardiff, but is now used as a Christian Fellowship centre.
A short distance along the quay is a sculpture recognising the role of miners
and the mining industry in creating the wealth which made Cardiff the foremost
coal exporting port in Britain; the foundation of the capital city we see today.A little farther away,
Techniquest is a unique hands-on science centre which demonstrates scientific
principles and phenomena in colourful and surprising ways.
The St David's Hotel was one of the first Five-Star rated establishments in the city.
Mermaid Quay a is modern eating and shopping complex which also overlooks Plas
Roald Dahl (Roald Dahl Place).
Boats and water taxis (pictured left) ply their trade around the bay and
up-river as far as the Castle near the city centre. They will also land you on
the Barrage itself - also reached on foot from near the Norwegian Church - where you can see the massive sluice gates in operation.

Pontyclun
A town at the boundary of the former coal field, and the rural Vale of Glamorgan. Nearby
is Llantrisant, which has a charter dating from 1346, but is more famed, perhaps, for the
part played by one of its former inhabitants in legislating for the disposal of bodies by
cremation. Nineteenth-century druid and mystic Dr William Price settled in Llantrisant
and, in 1884, scandalised the town by burning the remains of his son, who had died in
infancy. Brought to trial, he was acquitted on payment of one-farthing costs. The Doctor
himself was cremated near the town, and a statue in his memory has been erected in the
town square.

LlanharanThe latest station on the South Wales mainline opened on December 9 2007.
Llanharan is mainly residential. St Julian and St Aaron Church dates from the
mid-19th century with colourful stained glass east window. Llanharan House,
northeast of the station is about a hundred years older, and has a massive
cantilevered circular stone staircase. About 3km southwest is Llanhilid where
the short-lived
film and television studio complex - dubbed Valleywood - was built. Also at
Llanhilid, St Illid and St Curig church is of indeterminate age, but the nearby
castle ringwork is 12th century.

Pencoed
A mainly residential town on the River Ewenny, it is surrounded by green fields and
rolling countryside. In June 1998, it hosted the National Eisteddfod, an annual
cultural festival held entirely in the Welsh language.

Bridgend
A market town, Bridgend gives access to the Vale of Glamorgan, and has a number of
medieval castle ruins in the area. Among these are Coity and Ogmore, the latter close to
stepping stones across the River Ogmore which also gives access to the Glamorgan Coastal
Path. Two miles from Bridgend is the village of Ewenny, with its pottery and Norman
Priory. North of the town are the formerly-industrialised valleys of Llynfi, Garw and
Ogmore, while to the west is the seaside resort of Porthcawl.

Bridgend (43 mins)
A market town, Bridgend gives access to the Vale of Glamorgan, and has a number
of medieval castle ruins in the area. Among these are Coity and Ogmore, the
latter close to stepping stones across the River Ogmore which also gives access
to the Glamorgan Coastal Path. Two miles from Bridgend is the village of Ewenny,
with its pottery and Norman Priory. North of the town are the formerly
industrialised valleys of Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore, while to the west is the
traditional seaside resort of Porthcawl. Arriva Trains Wales run services into
the Llynfi Valley serving stations to
Maesteg. There are also connection with the
Vale of Glamorgan line to Barry and Cardiff.
Pyle 7 mins (36)
Pyle is one of the stations opened by local authorities, resulting from the National Union
of Railmen-inspired Swanline initiative. Mainly residential with a light-industrial estate
nearby, to the west of the town is Kenfig Burrows, an area of sand dunes part of which
covers the buried city of Kenfig. Kenfig Pool lies at the heart of the nature reserve. The
dunes run westward into the Bristol Channel. At the southern extremity of the bay is Sker
House, made famous in the R. D. Blackmore novel: The Maid of Sker.Port Talbot Parkway 13 mins (28)
Port Talbot is dominated by the steel works to the south and the oil refinery to the
north, but beyond the industrialised areas there are many areas of beauty and interest.
Aberavon, nearby, was once a seaside resort, but this function ceased soon after the
closure of the railway from the Rhondda and Afan valleys, on the course of which, the Afan
Country Park has been created. The revival of the town as a leisure-based resort
relied on the Aquadome watersport centre, and the Apollo multiplex cinema close by.
Controversy surrounds the redevelopment of the Afan Lido sports complex,
destroyed in a fire in 2009.
Surfers are attracted to the beach area, where cross
currents and straight-off-the-Atlantic breezes can whip up some pretty fair waves.
Three miles east of the town, is fifth-century Margam Abbey, around which has been created
Margam Country Park, which includes a boating lake and a narrow-gauge railway. The abbey houses a
remarkable collection of Celtic and medieval stone crosses.

Baglan 19 mins (27)
Opened as recently as June 2nd 1996, this was the fifth and last of the Swanline stations.
Mainly residential, the village is dominated by the oil refinery to the west. Close to the
station, there is an interesting church, the Bagle Brook Hotel, and the newly-opened Neath
and Port Talbot General Hospital.Briton Ferry 22mins (21)
Site of a small wharf on the River Neath, the village is 'graced' by not one, but two
motorway bridges soaring overhead. The station serves a mainly residential community.Neath 26mins (17)
Standing on the River Neath, the town has its origins in the Roman fortress of Nidum. An
attractive market town, here is the ruin of the castle and Neath Abbey which was founded
in 1129. Before the coming of the railways, the port was served by two canals - the
Tennant and the Vale of Neath - the latter having being restored in its upper reaches.
Outside the town are the Aberdulais Falls with its restored tin plate works, and,
rather
more distant, Cefn Coed Colliery Museum. Throughout the Vale of Neath, there are many
waterfalls and cascades, principal among which are the Melincourt near Resolven
(pictured), Ysgwyd Gwladys (the Lady Fall) and Ysgwyd Einon Gam near Pontneathvaughan.
Also reached by an hour's strenuous walk from Pontneathvaughan is Ysgwyd-yr-eira (the Fall
of Snow), remarkable because it is possible to walk behind the torrent of water from one side
of the valley to the other.Skewen 31 mins (12)
This Swanline station serves a mainly residential area.Llansamlet 35 mins (8)
On the northern outskirts of Swansea, Llansamlet is another Swanline station which serves
a largely residential area, though the Enterprise Zone is not too far away. Of interest as
the train approaches the station are four 'flying buttresses' over the track, designed by
the celebrated railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel to combat the effects of
subsidence in the area. After more than 150 years, they still demonstrate their
effectiveness. The Swansea Vale preserved railway is within walking
distance of the station.

Swansea is approached over the 389-yard steel viaduct at Landore, which
replaced an original Brunel structure. On the top of the hill to the right of
the train just before this crossing are the jagged stone ruins of Morris Castle.
Not really a castle at all, it is the remains of the first tenement building in
Britain - and possibly the world - built by John Morris to accommodate workers
at his Landore copper works. The town of Morriston is named after him.

Swansea 43 mins
Wales' second city, Swansea was extensively damaged during World War II. Over the years,
the bomb damaged areas have been replaced with modern shops and houses, a process
completed with redevelopment of defunct dockland to create the Maritime Quarter.
It has a modern shopping centre, with many attractive parks close by.
The Grand Theatre celebrated its centenary in 1997, and has been refurbished to a very
high standard. It was opened by the celebrated Italian soprano Madame Adelina Patti, whose
pavilion stands in Gors Lane.
A barrage across the mouth of the River Tawe, and the conversion of part of the former
dockland area into a picturesque marina, has given Swansea an attractive waterfront
quarter which harks back to its seagoing heritage. On the northern quay of the marina is
the Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum - which will soon become the Welsh Industrial
and Maritime Museum - with extensive displays and artefacts which highlight that
heritage. Close to the Dylan Thomas Theatre is a statue of one of Swansea's most famous
sons: the writer, poet and playwright, most notoriously of 'Under Milk Wood' a wickedly
whimsical day in the life of the fishing village of Llareggub (try reading the cod-Welsh
name backwards!). 2014 marks the centenary of Dylan's birth, and a number of
commemorative events are taking place.
The city's university is located at Singleton Park, a public area which has a boating lake
amongst its many attractions.
Swansea is the gateway to west Wales, but closer at hand is the Mumbles, famed as the site of the world's first passenger railway, which used steam,
diesel, electric - and even sail - power in its 153-year existence from 1807 until 1960.
There were plans to resurrect the Railway using a revolutionary flywheel driven tram
system, but this has been abandoned, one reason - ironically - being that the original
route has been developed as a promenade and cycleway. Mumbles Pier houses the
Swansea lifeboat station.
To the west is the Gower peninsular - the first region in Britain to be
designated an area of outstanding natural beauty - with numerous bays and inlets,
Oxwich and Pennard Castles,
and a coastal cliff-top path. The northern coast is flatter with salt marshes
forming the boundary with the sea. On the tidal foreshore are the metal
lighthouse at Whiteford Sands and a World War One watchtower, while Weobley
Castle and the villages of Llanrhidian, Landimore and Llanmadoc are on drier
ground.

Heart of Wales line which converges
from the right.Llanelli
owes its existence to iron, tinplate, copper, and coal, but today, Trostre
Tinplate works is the only reminder of its heavy-industrial past. Its
long-closed port has been turned to leisure use, and modern buildings are
replacing the arcaded structures for which the town was noted. Some imposing
buildings remain: the Jacobean-style Town Hall; Tabernacle chapel; Capel Alis; and the more-recent Roman Catholic Church. Parc Howard House is now a
museum and art gallery, while Stradey Park - famous as the home of the town's rugby union
team, The Scarlets - has been replaced by a new ground, Parc-y-Scarlet. Five
miles away is Ffos Las where flat and steeplechase horse races take place. On race days a dedicated bus shuttle
runs from Llanelli to the course, returning after the day's racing.Pembrey and Burry Port
is close to Pembrey Country Park which has an eight mile coast-line, a falconry, forest
walks and a ski and toboggan run. In the nineteenth century, Burry Port was prominent in the
coal-exporting trade, but, like Llanelli, its harbour is now put to leisure use.Kidwelly
station is on the edge of the town which is dominated by its 12th century castle. With a
ditch on one side and the Gwendraeth River on the other, such was its strength and
strategic position, that in 1403, a handful of archers and townspeople were able to
repulse the might of Welsh prince Owen Glyndwr's army. The castle featured strongly in the
battles of the Welsh Uprising of 1257.
St Mary's Church also dates from the 13th century, while close to the town is the harbour
and Tinplate museum. Nor far away is the Welsh Motor Sports Centre which includes a
Formula Three racing circuit.Ferryside
no longer has a ferry across the River Towy, but with the sailing club close at hand, a
crossing to Llanstephan is not impossible. Set in beautiful surroundings, the village is
encircled by hills, with the river estuary winding to the north, and sand dunes to the
south. Also to the south, is the 13th century church of St Ishmael with its unusual mix of
architecture. Some cockle-gathering still takes place, but nothing like the intensity of
the early part of the twentieth century when the economy of the village depended on the industry.Carmarthen
stands on the Towy River and is founded on the Roman town of Moridunum, but is also
steeped in Arthurian legend. One legend states that when the Carmarthen Oak falls, the
town will fall with it. All that is left of the oak (in Priory Street) is the stump, but
what remains is guarded with meticulous care!
Of the Norman Priory no trace remains, but it is famed for the Black Book of Carmarthen: a
collection of Welsh poetry, and the oldest manuscript book in the Welsh language (now at
the Museum of Wales in Aberystwyth).
For how long the Church of St Peter has stood is uncertain, but parts of the building have
been dated to the 13th century, and there are references to the church during the reign of
Henry I. Parts of the 11th century castle remains, but has been encroached upon by more
modern structures.Near the
Guild-hall, a statue to General Sir William Nott - a hero of the Afghan Wars - stands on
the spot where, in 1555, Bishop Ferrar was martyred at the stake for his Protestant
beliefs.
Three miles north, the Gwili Railway is a two-mile long, preserved
railway operating through a wooded valley.
South of the town, on the west of the Towy estuary is Llanstephan Castle, and the
village of Laugharne, briefly the home - and finally the resting place - of Welsh
poet and dramatist Dylan Thomas, and said to be the model for Llareggub in Under Milk
Wood, though this he always denied (perhaps wisely, considering what the
cod-Welsh name reads in reverse). The picture (left) shows the
Towy estuary and the
boathouse where Dylan lived. Whitland
is, today, a market town which thrives on agriculture and the dairy industry, but its
place in history is assured thanks to the 10th century ruler of the district, Hywel Dda
(in English, Howell the Good). During his reign Hywel succeeded in uniting the warring
kingdoms of Wales, and, in the year 930 at an assembly of clergy and laymen held at
Whitland, he codified the laws on which present-day democratic government is based. The
town's memorial to Hywel takes the form of six small gardens which symbolise the six
principles embodied in those laws.
The parish Church of St Mary dates from the early 18th century, but the site goes back to
medieval times.
Whitland marks the eastern boundary of the Landsker: an imaginary border which
historically separates the English-speaking south from the Welsh speaking north of
Pembrokeshire.

The Heart of Wales line (officially the Central Wales line) is the nearest to a quiet
backwater it is possible to get on the modern railway. Though the first part of the line
threads through a formerly industrialised region, beyond Ammanford the line passes through
some of the most romantic scenery in the British Isles. Winding track and steep gradients
means that the 90-mile journey between Llanelli and Craven Arms takes all of three hours
to complete, but the reward for the leisurely pace is the view from the windows of the
train. Though many places along the route had been famed for their healing waters since
the early part of the seventeenth century, it was the coming of the railway which
established the spa townships, though the modern railway has dropped the 'Wells' suffix
from Llandrindod, Llangammarch and Llanwrtyd stations in present-day timetables.

Northbound
Monday to Friday trains leave Swansea at 4.36am,
9.16am, 1.14pm and 6.21pm; Llanelli at 4.53am, 9.34am, 1.35pm and 6.39pm. These
trains call at Craven Arms at 7.54am, 12.39pm, 4.40pm and 9.38pm,
arriving at Shrewsbury at 8.22am, 1.08pm, 5.09pm and 10.08pm.Saturday trains leave Swansea at 4.36am,
9.16am, 1.16pm and 6.21pm; Llanelli at 4.53am, 9.34am, 1.35pm and 6.39pm. These
trains call at Craven Arms at 7.54am, 12.39pm, 4.38pm and 9.38pm,
arriving at Shrewsbury at 8.22am, 1.06pm, 5.11pm and 10.08pm.
Until October 19 (inclusive)
Sunday trains leave Swansea 11.08am and 3.26pm; Llanelli at 11.29am
and 3.51pm, arriving
Craven Arms at 2.44pm and 7.03pm and Shrewsbury at 3.12pm and
7.31pm. From October 26 (inclusive Sunday trains leave Swansea 11.08am
and 3.35pm; Llanelli at 11.29am and 3.55pm, arriving
Craven Arms at 2.44pm and 7.03pm and Shrewsbury at 3.12pm and
7.31pm.

Southbound
Monday to Friday trains leave Shrewsbury at 5.16am, 9.00am, 1.58pm and 6.01pm; Craven Arms at 5.47am, 9.28am, 2.26pm
and 6.31pm.
Departure from Llanelli is at 8.55am, 12.42pm, 5.40pm and 9.44pm;
arriving at Swansea
9.23am, 1.04pm, 6.05pm and 10.12pm.Saturday trains leave Shrewsbury at
5.16am, 9.00am, 1.58pm and 6.01pm; Craven Arms at 5.47am, 9.28am, 2.26pm
and 6.31pm.
Departing from Llanelli at 8.55am, 12.42pm, 5.40pm and 9.44pm; arriving at Swansea
9.23am, 1.04pm, 6.05pm and 10.12pm.Sunday trains leave Shrewsbury at 12.04pm and
4.18pm; and Craven Arms at 12.33pm and 4.47pm, Llanelli at 3.41pm and
8.03pm;
arriving at Swansea at
4.02pm and 8.23pm.

Station names in italics indicate that these are request stops only.
Figures after station names show the approximate journey times from Llanelli
with the approximate journey times from Craven Arms in brackets.

Station names in italics indicate that these are request stops
only.
Figures after station names show the approximate journey times from Llanelli
with the approximate journey times from Craven Arms in brackets.

The train now backtracks to the junction noted earlier, and soon reaches:

Bynea 5 mins (169)
The steelworks which overshadowed Bynea were demolished over 25 years ago, to leave a
pleasant town nestling on the edge of the salt marshes of the River Loughor.
Llangennech 11 mins (166)
is another former industrial town, built where the River Morlais flows into the Loughor.
Pontarddulais 13 mins (162)
was built around the tin-plate industry little more than a century-and-a-quarter ago,
though the fame of Pontarddulais now rests predominantly with its brass band and male
voice choir. There is an ancient church and castle motte on the marshes of the river
estuary.Pantyffynnon 20 mins (156)
The century-old signal box which stands just outside the station controls all the
signalling for the branch until it reaches Craven Arms.Ammanford 23 mins (153)
A former mining town on the edge of the anthracite belt of the South Field coalfield,
Ammanford is now the largest township on the HoW line.

From Ammanford, the true rurality of the branch soon becomes evident. The area aroundLlandybie 32 mins (149)
is marred by limestone quarries, though the disused kilns have more than a hint of Gothic
Victorian in their architecture. The church dates from the 14th century, while the Plas is
the ruin of a 17th century mansion.
Ffairfach 35 mins (142)
is a small village located near where the River Cennen flows into the much larger TowyLlandeilo 37 mins (137)
is named after one of Wales' most famous saints. St Teilo was a 6th century missionary
dedicated to converted Britain to Christianity. The station is located on the eastern edge
of the town near the banks of the River Towy, from where the road winds between brightly
coloured houses to the church and to ruin of Dynevor Castle.Llangadog 49 mins (128)
church commemorates another of Wales' saints, this time St Cadoc who flourished toward the
end of the 5th century.Llanwrda 52 mins (124)
was the site of the sister church to Llangadog, and is located up-river on the opposite
bank of the Towy.Llandovery 59 mins (112)
is a busy market town, a mix of Georgian and Victorian architecture
surrounded by gentle hills. The ruins of the castle overlook the cattle market. The
Methodist chapel commemorates the best-known writer of Welsh hymns: William Williams of
Pantycelyn, who lived at a farm five miles outside the town. Llandovery College is one of only two
public schools in Wales (the other is at Brecon).
Cynghordy 69 mins(104)which name derives from a former meeting house, is the remote location
for two of the engineering wonders of the line; the 93ft high Cynghordy viaduct, and the
1,000-yard Sugar Loaf Tunnel. The viaduct is 650 feet in length and consists of 18 arched
spans. The mid-point of Sugar Loaf Tunnel is directly underneath the county boundaries of
Carmarthenshire and Powys.
Sugar Loaf Halt 77 mins (97)
Like Cynghordy, is remotely located, and both stations are ideal starting points for
rambles in the surrounding countryside.Llanwrtyd Wells
83 mins (89)
(pictured left)
was established as a spa town as far back as 1732. Reputedly the smallest town in Britain,
and set on the edge of the Cambrian mountain range, red kite and other birds of prey can
be seen wheeling overhead. Near by, Lake Abernant offers fishing and boating facilities.
It is also the home of the annual man-versus-horse race, recently won by a man
for the first time in the competition's history, and the sport of bog
snorkelling, where competitors wearing snorkel and scuba fins swim 60 metres
along a trench cut into a peat bog.
Llangammarch 91 mins (83)
Yet another spa town, its waters are claimed as unique in that they contain barium
chloride, considered an infallible cure for all forms of heart complaint.
Garth 95 mins (79)
serves a quiet spa village, and is surrounded by beautiful countryside.
Cilmeri 100 mins (74)
has great significance for patriotic Welshmen as it was here that Llywelyn, the last
native Prince of Wales, met his death in 1282. A stone monument which marks the spot can
be seen from the train, west of the station.
Builth Road 103 mins (71)
is two miles from the town of Builth Wells, where the pump room is a reminder of its spa
origins in the 1780s. The town stands on the River Wye which is crossed by an 18th century
stone bridge. Parts of the church date from the 13th century, and contains an effigy of
Sir John Lloid, a personal attendant of Queen Elizabeth I. At Llanelwedd, outside the
town, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show is held. Llandrindod 114 mins (58)
(in English, the Church of the Trinity) developed as a spa town from 1749, but the
benefits of its waters were well-known for at least fifty years before. Every August, the
town steeps itself in Victorianna during its annual festival.

Penybont 127 mins (49)
was once the centre for horse races, in particular those employing the use of sulkies, a
light trap-like cart which carries the 'jockey'.Dolau 132 mins (45)
Like most stations on the Heart of Wales line, it is looked after by local station
adoption groups, and is a frequent winner of the annual Best Kept Station award.
Llanbister Road 138 mins (39)
is ideally located for walks in the Radnor Forest, as is
Llangynllo 143 mins (35)
the next station along. Just before the 645-yard long Llangynllo Tunnel the line reaches
980 feet above sea level, the highest point on the branch.
Knucklas 149 mins (27)
is approached over a 465-yard viaduct a with distinctive castellated turrets which carry
the line 69 ft above the valley floor.Knighton 155 mins (20)
straddles Offa's Dyke, the traditional boundary between Wales and England: the town in the
former country but the station located over the border. Though in Wales, the architecture
of Knighton's Norman Church is more typical of neighbouring Herefordshire.
The remaining stations are Bucknell, Hopton Heath, and Broome before Craven
Arms, which owes its name to one of the old coaching inns on the road between North
and South Wales, is reached. Craven Arms is on the Marches line which runs northward to
Shrewsbury, and southward to Hereford and Newport in the south. (See the North Wales and Marches section of the Wales and West pages.

Garw Valley Railway
Alight at Bridgend, and take a bus on routes 12 or 14 to Pontycymmer, from the nearby bus
station.Dean Forest Railway.
The DFR's terminus at Lydney Junction is about 100 metres north of the station on the
National Rail networkGwili Railway.
Approximately three miles from Carmarthen on the Lampeter RoadPontypool and BlaenavonBuses from Pontypool (half- hour journey time), Cwmbran (50 minutes) and Newport (one
hour approx). Swansea Vale Railway
The Swansea Vale Railway was located at Bonymaen to the northeast of the Swansea,
and was reached by bus routes 31A and 31B from Quadrant Bus station in the city
centre. Unfortunately, the Railway no longer operates.Barry Island Railway (formerly Vale of Glamorgan Railway Society)
The withdrawal of financial support for the BIR has meant it has had to vacate
its site at Barry. It has moved to join the Garw Valley
Railway Company at Pontycymmer.